Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee is considered the home of the country music recording industry in the United States. It dates back to the 1950s and has been instrumental in advancing country music beyond its hillbilly stigma. Music Row is also home to the business side of the music industry, including publishing houses, record label offices, and licensing companies. It is an important part of American music history.
Music Row is an area of Nashville, Tennessee in the United States (USA), located between 16th and 17th Avenues South. This area is generally considered to be the home of the country music recording industry in the United States. Dating back to the 1950s, hundreds if not thousands of country music artists have recorded there, creating some of the most popular and enduring country music songs of the 20th and 21st centuries. The development of Music Row is often seen as a key factor in advancing country music beyond its hillbilly stigma, bringing it, and rock and roll too, to the masses.
Nashville was seen as a dominant force in the American music landscape even before the advent of Music Row. This is mainly due to the popularity of the Grand Ole Opry Radio Show, which was broadcast on radio in the United States in the 1940s. After World War II, many record labels moved to Nashville to capitalize on the show’s popularity, opening their own music studios in the city to capture the popular sound. Many of the music studios located in this area were ahead of their time, allowing for richer and more diverse recording techniques that could feature larger bands with string sections and backing vocalists.
One of Music Row’s most famous studios is Radio Corporation of America’s (RCA) Studio B. In 1956, Elvis Presley visited this studio to record his first song for RCA, Heartbreak Hotel, a song widely regarded as not only his trademark song, but one of the most important songs in rock and roll history. Besides Elvis, several other artists who also laid the foundations for country and modern rock and roll would record at Music Row in the 1950s and ’60s. The Everly Brothers recorded many of their greatest hits, including Bye Bye Love and Wake Up Little Susie at the Music Row recording studios. Another early rock and roll legend, Brenda Lee, also made history on Music Row, recording all of her songs exclusively in the Tennessee landmark from 1958 to 1968, including her first hit, Sweet Nothin’s.
Music Row has grown since its early days and, in addition to recording, is also home to the business side of the music industry. Publishing houses, record label offices, licensing companies, and video production companies make the area their home, making the once-unassuming section of downtown Nashville not only an important part of country music history, but also the american history.
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